In Season 1, Episode 6 of the Disney Plus series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, titled “We Take a Zebra to Vegas,” the story continues the quest of Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) to the Underworld to save Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), and find the Master Bolt.
Percy accidentally glimpses a dream of the Lightning Thief’s master, taking the form of the Headmaster (Hiro Kanagawa) from Yancy Academy. The master questions the thief’s decision to start a war between Zeus and Poseidon by giving away the Master Bolt, deviating from the initial plan. Angered, the Lighting Thief’s master questions the thief’s trustworthiness. However, the master notices Percy and forces him to leave the dream, expressing amusement for Percy’s quest.
After Percy wakes up, he and Annabeth ask Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, to communicate with Chiron via hologram. Luke (Charlie Bushnell) answers, revealing Camp Half-Blood’s division in choosing sides for the war. Annabeth informs Luke that Clarisse is likely the Lightning Thief, implicating Ares’ involvement. When Percy is about to mention meeting with Hermes in Las Vegas, Annabeth ends the call due to Luke’s strained relationship with his father.
Later, Grover and the animals stage a breakout, escaping the truck and causing chaos in Las Vegas. Grover gives them a satyr blessing before they leave. The trio then heads to the Lotus Hotel and Casino, a secret Greek God casino where guests eat lotus flowers, making them forget their past. Unbeknownst to them, the lotus flowers are spread airborne for unknown reasons.
Before meeting Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Annabeth reveals Luke’s hatred for Hermes due to his mother being a seer who became insane. Luke blames Hermes for his mother’s condition. When they meet with Hermes, he refuses to help them enter the Underworld for various reasons, including Poseidon’s order. Frustrated, Annabeth invisibly steals Hermes’ key to the Underworld.
While at the casino, Grover meets the satyr Augustus (Ted Dykstra), who can’t remember due to lotus flowers. Augustus informs Grover that he found Pan, the God of the Wild, in the casino. Grover realizes the lotus flowers are airborne but forgets about Percy, Annabeth, and the Master Bolt quest. Later, Grover, picked up by Percy and Annabeth, heads to the Underworld after Hermes changes his mind and provides them with information.
The trio heads to the Underworld’s gate’s location. Percy insists on talking to his father and drives Hermes’ car to Santa Monica Beach. Percy is informed by Eudora (Jelena Milinovic), one of the Nereids working for Poseidon, that the quest’s deadline has passed, but he receives four pearls from her that can help the trio and Sally escape the Underworld. Despite Poseidon preparing for war, Percy is determined to complete the quest.
Hermes talks with Percy and Annabeth
Season 1, Episode 6 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, titled “We Take a Zebra to Vegas,” was another interesting episode. The collaborative efforts of Director Jet Wilkinson, Writers Jonathan E. Steinberg and Joe Tracz, and the original author Rick Riordan contribute to the success of this episode.
The episode reveals a captivating storyline that builds on the quest for the Master Bolt and the rescue of Percy’s mother. The episode adeptly combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and Greek mythology, creating a compelling narrative. The dream sequence featuring Percy’s glimpse into the Lightning Thief’s master adds intrigue and sets the stage for future conflicts. The dynamics between characters, particularly the strained relationship between Luke and Hermes, add depth to the storyline. The Lotus Hotel and Casino introduces a unique and dangerous element to the quest, highlighting the creativity of the writers and the adaptation team. The episode successfully balances humor, drama, and suspense, maintaining the audience’s engagement throughout.
In the Lightning Thief novel, there are notable differences in the portrayal of the Lotus Casino. While the episode stays true to the concept of the Lotus Hotel and Casino as a place where guests lose track of time and reality by consuming lotus flowers, there are variations in the execution. In the novel, Percy and his friends enter the casino voluntarily and become entrapped in the illusion of eternal pleasure. The airborne spread of lotus flowers is not explicitly mentioned. These nuanced distinctions contribute to the unique interpretations of the Lotus Casino’s role in the storyline between the novel and its television adaptation. However, the episode’s main problem was it removed the depth, mystery, and intrigue of the Lotus Casino for a simple meeting between three young heroes and Hermes. In addition, Grover’s meeting with Augustus felt really unnecessary.
Nevertheless, there were cool Easter eggs, with one particularly notable instance being a background shout of a boy crying “Bianca!”, signifying that it was Nico di Angelo calling for his older sister, Bianca di Angelo. Both characters were introduced as the son and daughter of Hades, compelled to remain in the Lotus Casino as a measure of Hades protecting his children from Zeus, who had killed the siblings’ mother.
Rating: 8/10